continuing pain and a toothache?

[Mstiles]

I’ve been posting recently about some new pain and trying to discern what’s causing it. Thank you to all who replied with your experience and suggestions.

I’ve had arthritis and swelling in my right knee for quite awhile. I also have mild to moderate scoliosis.

The pain started with back pain and then progressed to joint pain, mostly on the right side but some new pain in both hands and right ankle. Also pain in both of the sciatic joints.

I saw my GP’s nurse practitioner and then my GP. I had X-rays of right knee, hip, left hip, and lower spine. Waiting for my GP to explain the results. From what I can understand from the posted test results there are some changes or some things going on with the lower two joints closest to the tail bone.

I was prescribed Tylenol with codeine. This has helped quite a bit with some pain but not others! Shoulders and ankle are still sore.

I’m on 9 mg pred and haven’t increased it. Now I’m experiencing a pretty painful tooth ache and sensitivity to hot and cold. The pain comes and goes and seems to be sometimes helped with the codeine. I think Its an upper molar but I can’t be sure which tooth is involved.

Can a flare ever cause a toothache?? I’ve read it can cause pain in the ear. My original diagnosis of GCA was occipital, not the usual type GCA headaches.

Hoping desperately to avoid a trip to the dentist!

[SnazzyD]

Hello, I think you really need an opinion from a dentist and possibly an x-ray while you’re there. A tooth problem may not present with the pain in that tooth alone depending on how close a main nerve is.

[Mstiles in reply to SnazzyD]

yes, I just called and made an appt. For Monday. Hopefully nothing too bad will show up!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I find a visit to the dentist preferable to most other medical "stuff". Until I get the bill that is ...

And they are easier to get an appointment with than a rheumy!

[Mstiles in reply to PMRpro]

the bill is always a shocker!

If I need dental work beyond a filling do I need to increase my pred?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Mstiles]

Depends what they need to do. I never have for root treatments or extractions.

[Miacaro45]

When I was diagnosed with GCA I noticed, periodically, that my upper left molar would bother me. I visited the dentist many times and he could not find anything wrong. I even went to an Endodontist and he could not figure out what was wrong. I think it has to do with the amount of Prednisone I was taking. When I increased the amount, the toothache went away.

[Mstiles in reply to Miacaro45]

thank you Marsh37!

I’m wondering if that is the case with me. I first noticed an issue in the upper back molar when I started on this month long increase in pain I’ve been posting about. My CRP and sed rate have been slowly increasing, right at the limit now, right along with the last months of increasing severe family stress. I haven’t increased my pred

I made a dentist appointment for tomorrow. Another suggestion for the problem was a sinus infection as I do have stuffed up nose on that side when waking up.

New pains! These diseases are like playing whack a mole trying to figure things out!

[Mstiles in reply to Miacaro45]

when your tooth was bothering you, did it have the usual symptoms of sensitivity to heat and cold and painful chewing?

[Miacaro45 in reply to Mstiles]

I did have sensitivity to heat and cold. It was a gnawing pain. The dentist told me to use Sensodyne toothpaste which helped. I think my rheumatologist thought I was nuts. Hope you get an answer. My best to you.

[Mstiles in reply to Miacaro45]

💗

[Broseley]

I have had a tooth abscess only discovered because the tooth became wobbly. Top incisor, all the way up to my eye, nearly. No pain at all. Maybe pred hides the pain, though the dentist said it must've been draining. She root filled it and takes an XRay every appointment. So far 2 years later it's still not healed but has reduced in size a lot. I'm on alendronic acid so maybe that affects it too. She said probably and the pred is also slowing the healing.Anyway, it's definitely worth getting it looked at.